1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus, a three-dimensional image reconstructing method, and a three-dimensional image reconstructing program. More particularly, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus, a three-dimensional image reconstructing method, and a three-dimensional image reconstructing program for reconstructing a three-dimensional image which shows the three-dimensional structure of an object based on images of the object obtained by image-capturing the object.
2. Related Art
A three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus has been conventionally proposed which reconstructs a three-dimensional image which shows the three-dimensional structure of an object in the following manner. A plurality of transmission-type images are obtained by image-capturing the object from a plurality of different angles by way of a transmission electron microscope. The planar transmission-type images are extended in the direction in which the respective images are captured and then integrated to each other. By doing so, the above-mentioned three-dimensional image is reconstructed by integrating the densities of different levels. In addition, another three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus has been proposed which reconstructs a more accurate three-dimensional image of an object, not only by extending a plurality of planar transmission-type images in the respective image-capturing directions and integrating the resulting images so that the densities of different levels are integrated but also by using morphological information indicating the outline of the object which is calculated based on the captured transmission-type images, as disclosed in International Publication No. WO2002/048961, for example
However, the region shown by extending the transmission-type images in the image-capturing directions and integrating the resulting images so as to integrate the densities of different levels includes a region called “a phantom” in which the object is actually not present, due to a special way of how a specimen is supported in the electron microscope. Therefore, the three-dimensional image which is reconstructed only by integrating the densities of different levels in the above-described manner has a problem of low accuracy. Furthermore, the three-dimensional image which is reconstructed based further on the morphological information indicating the outline of the object does not contain information indicating the internal structure of the object. For this reason, the three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus disclosed in the publication No. WO2002/048961 can not be utilized to enable a user to know the internal structure of the object.
In view of the above, an advantage of some embodiments of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus, a three-dimensional image reconstructing method, and a three-dimensional image reconstructing program which can solve the above-described problem. This advantage is achieved by combining the features recited in the independent claims. The dependent claims define further effective specific example of the present invention.